This invention relates generally to packaging materials and more particularly to a means for covering articles positioned on pallets for transportation and storage.
It is well known and common practice to position loads of various articles on wooden, metal or plastic supporting pallets for transportation and storage. Generally, such loads are bound to the pallets by tensioned metal or plastic straps or like fastening means to preclude shifting or separation thereof relative to the pallet. Typically, the straps are fastened around the load while it is compressed. When the load is decompressed, certain areas surrounding the straps remain compressed and may become indented or damaged. Heretofore, such palletized loads have been wrapped or otherwise covered with protective paper or preformed boxes to minimize the likelihood of damage to the articles during transportation and handling.
When the articles on the pallet are of a readily damagable nature, such as paper products or printed matter, it is highly desirable that a sturdy protective covering be employed to prevent damage to the articles. Such damage may commonly occur from the packing bands bending, tearing, or otherwise blemishing the articles. Further damage may occur by stacking additional loaded pallets on top of the articles during transport or storage. Protection of the load of articles has been provided in the prior art by forming a wooden frame having length and width generally corresponding to the length and width of the pallet. The wooden frame is placed on top of the load and the strapping is passed over the edges. The use of wood has a number of disadvantages including the accumulation of dirt and the presence of moisture which can transfer to the load. Moreover, wood is heavy and bulky, thereby increasing the shipping weight and considerable storage space. The wooden frames are furthermore expensive and generally not recyclable.
Some shippers have substituted the use of rigid preformed paperboard angled corners for the earlier wooden frames. In this application, laminated paperbaord which is glued, treated and formed into rigid right angles is either glued or stapled into a frame which fits down over the palletized load. A single sheet of paperboard may be interposed between this frame and the top of the load to provide protection to the top of the load. The strapping is then passed over the right angle secure the load to the pallet. This particular form of corner protection has advantages over the use of wooden frames in that it cushions the load edges against hard knocks and strap indentations, replaces expensive lumber, and provides some protection of the side of the load. On the other hand, the use of such paperbaord angles has a number of shortcomings. The corner angles must be assembled to form a frame, requiring time and labor. Such angles are unwieldy and may not be easily stored. Furthermore, such angles are normally sized specifically to only a single size of load.
In some instances, preformed cartons have been used to cover pallet loads, often resulting in a poor fit to the articles enclosed. Such cartons will often allow for the shifting of stacked articles within and the scattering of articles upon removal of the carton cover. Still other pallet covering devices have been disclosed in which flattened corrugated cardboard component panels or other paperboard material is folded over the top and sides of the pallet load. Such coverings do not provide the protection of the corner angle or wooden frame against strap indentations and hard knocks to the top corners of the load. Moreover, all of the heretofore mentioned devices must be constructed of a particular fixed size corresponding to the size of the pallet. However, in the pallet loading of certain bulk products, such as paper products or printed material, the dimensions of the top of the load may vary from pallet to pallet, depending on the dimensions of the articles in the load and the number of articles stacked upon the pallet. Furthermore, not all pallets are the same size. As a result, if preformed protective covering devices or component panels are to be employed, a variety of sizes and types must be available, creating storage and other inventory related difficulties. Often the load to be stacked upon a pallet is larger than the pallet itself. Most protective devices are limited to use in covering the stack and may not be as adapted to be interposed between the pallet and the stack to therby protect the bottom of the stack. Consequently, additional component protective devices are necessary. This situation results in an expensive packaging material problem.
For the foregoing reasons, it is highly desirable that a uniform pakaging means be devised which would adequately protect a palletized load of paper products or printed matter irrespective of the size of the load.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a protective covering device having dimensions adaptable to various sizes of pallet-loaded stacks of material.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature which will protect the edges of said stacks of material from indentation by tensioned strapping bands and other forces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature which may be interposed between the pallet and the bottom of the load to thereby render protection from damage to the bottom edges of the load.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature which may be easily assembled and sized.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature which is comprised of a minimal number of component parts.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.